“I used to have a beautiful wife and all my own teeth. Life changes… and not always for the better,” or so says retired magician Clarence (Michael Caine) in Is Anybody There? It’s a wise statement and a valuable thought to take on board – and it isn’t the first, or last, poignant moment of the movie.

Edward (Bill Milner) is a ten-year-old only child obsessed with mortality and the afterlife, a direct result of his house in the English countryside doubling as an old folk’s home. He despises his lonely life, the old people, and the fact that he can’t ‘have his room back’. His parents battle to keep the business afloat while the few senile residents totter around the house exhibiting their various elderly absurdities. It is only every now and then that Edward finds any sort of excitement, when one of the residents passes away and Edward tries to record their last breaths in the hope that he can hear their ghosts. He isn’t sad or scared about dying; he simply wants to know ‘what happens’.

But day after day there seems to be no paranormal activity, or as Edward writes in his notebook, “no recorded evadense”. That is, until the easily frustrated Clarence rolls into town in his colourfully painted caravan. At first Clarence too despises the home, the “jabbering simpletons” who live there, and also Edward, who seems to antagonise Clarence to no end. Predictably, however, the spite fostered between the two turns into a special kind of bond as Clarence teaches Edward magic tricks and tries to lure him out of his obsession with death. Edward reciprocates, trying to help Clarence come to terms with the loss of his wife and the regrets of the past. Clarence’s dementia becomes increasingly evident, which puts a strain on the relationship, but is resolved when Clarence comes out of retirement to perform a magic show at Edward’s eleventh birthday, albeit with near-disastrous results.

The pain of loss - both of loved ones and of self – is stressed throughout the film and climaxes when the confused Clarence is finally faced with his wife’s grave. Yet loose ends are tied and melancholic resolutions are found for the characters in the ‘you knew it was going to happen, but it still comes as a mild shock’ ending.

Visually the film has a whimsical autumn/winter kind of kind of feel, with plenty of granny-like elements including patchwork, crochet and lace. Interesting techniques are used to show past events that were recorded by Edward’s tape player, which adds a touch of quirk to the predominantly chronological storyline. There are enough comedic interludes and likeable old fuddy-duddies to save the film from coming across as overly morose and grim, but at the end of the day it leaves you pondering the fact that life is in no way permanent, especially not life as we know it.

At 76 Caine shows his age in the film, but this makes him all the more perfect for the role. Reports say that he agreed to do the film after seeing a friend battle with Alzheimer’s, and that Caine’s own wife struggled to watch the actor play the fading magician. For those who remember Caine’s glory days with films like Alfie (1966), it must be difficult to see the seemingly tireless actor appear as weary and bedraggled as he does in Is Anybody There? As a performer, however, Caine shows no signs of slowing down and some critics have touted the role as one of the best of his career.

Verdict:

There is plenty of magic in this story, most coming from Caine’s highly-regarded performance. But young Milner helps to provide some just as enchanting moments in this film that is as heartbreaking as it is heart-warming.